Zidane explains his delay to the national anthem in his first match

For his first match in charge of France, Zinedine Zidane arrived late on the bench in Izmit, Turkey, and missed the opening notes of La Marseillaise. The match, which ended in a 0-1 victory for the Blues, took place on Friday as part of the Nations League.

A rushed start

In the hurry, “Zizou” and his staff lined up a few seconds after the kickoff of the anthem, arm in arm. The manager admitted that the protocol was quicker than expected and joked, saying: “I had a little delay at the start (smile). I would have preferred to be there from the beginning.” He chose to laugh about it at the final whistle, calling the incident a “small off‑note”.

Reactions and first impressions

At the press conference, Zidane said: “It’s always so emotional. I have no words. It’s been a long time since I returned to the France team. Something special is happening. We’re enjoying the moment.” He also mentioned his exchange with former teammate Bixente Lizarazu on TF1, highlighting the special nature of this first day.

Despite the setback, the new manager largely succeeded in his debut, although the main black spot of the evening was the injured exit of Kylian Mbappé, who suffered a knee injury and was forced to leave the camp.

Zidane picks Mbappé on the left wing for his debut with France

Mbappé was one of the key players, and his departure left the Blues without their star striker. Zidane recalled that his players had only trained for four days before this match.

The previous coach, Didier Deschamps, had held the position for fourteen years, and Zidane emphasized that he could not have hoped for a better start, after waiting so long to don the manager’s coat.

France lose Mbappé to knee injury as Zidane faces squad dilemma

The next encounter for the Blues will take place in Belgium, this Monday in Brussels, providing new clues about the “Zidane method” and how his precepts will materialise on the pitch.